


Dollars and Deviants

by LolitaBlue



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alcohol, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Bottom Jensen, Clubbing, Dirty Dancing, Dirty Talk, Drug Use, Embarrassed Jensen, F/M, Gay Sex, Grinding, Jared is a CEO, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining, Pining Jared, Rich Jared, Sex Club, Strippers & Strip Clubs, Top Jared, Vip Club, it's just weed y'all nothing to be concerned about
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-27
Updated: 2017-07-21
Packaged: 2018-10-11 22:00:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10475346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LolitaBlue/pseuds/LolitaBlue
Summary: Jared Padalecki is a world famous CEO and New York's most eligible bachelor, making billions before the age of 24. Jensen Ackles is a best-selling author, navigating his way through the concrete jungle with the help of his best friends. When Jared and Jensen have an unlikely encounter in a nightclub, it sparks something neither of them ever expected, and the pair are enveloped into a world of sex, love, and scandals.(lmao y'all i suck at writing descriptions pls do not judge me)





	1. The Maverick

**Author's Note:**

> ALRIGHTY BOYS AND GIRLS WELCOME TO THE SHITSHOW LETS TALK ABOUT A FEW THINGS REAL QUICK BEFORE WE GET INTO THE SIN.  
> 1\. i feel dirty. never have i ever written something where i use the actors instead of the characters. i'm a slut for wincest and i've written/posted maaaaaany many many wincest fics in my day (not on this account) but NEVER one involving J2 themselves. it makes me feel like i'm messing with their personal lives or somethin so i've always stuck to the wincest and quietly reading J2 in the corner lol. but this AU sorta kinda already was a thing for Sam n Dean (*cough* Swesson) so i chose to go with J2 bc i didn't wanna do this with anyone else.  
> 2\. I LOVE AND CHERISH BOTH GEN AND DANNEEL OK I KNOW THAT J2 ARE HAPPILY MARRIED AND I LOVE/RESPECT THE RELATIONSHIP THEY HAVE WITH THEIR WIVES I THINK THEYRE ALL CUTE AS SHIT. speaking of which Gen posted a pic of baby Odette today :,) so cute. but basically what i'm tryna say is that Gen and Danneel will be pretty big parts in this story and will play a positive roll in everything. I dont like when those two are demonized in stories for the sake of making J2 a thang. this is fanfic, J2 can be together without being rude to anyone else.  
> 3\. i know this story is all sooooo outta character but let's face it sometimes we need cliche, self-indulgent fics to brighten our days....and let's be real if ur here that means you love yourself some J2 and wouldn't mind reading about them doing some dirty dancing or frick fracking. yall can't hide from me. i'm one of you. i know you want smut and sin  
> 4\. and lastly, imma do my best to complete this whole thing. i sometimes i have issues with seeing fics all the way through till the end but positive feedback helps move me along. i'm done now go read;)

Jensen Ackles was _not_ obsessed with Jared Padalecki.

Despite what his best friend- and pretty much everyone else- believed, Jensen's supposed "obsession" barely made it past curiosity, nothing more than wonderment as to how the guy managed to make billions of dollars before the age of twenty-four. It was hard not to ask questions, especially when the businessman and CEO lived such a high profile life. He was always out partying and having fun, never failing to get his slightly-drunken image plastered on every magazine cover in the country, then leave with whatever girl or guy he deemed fit.

Jensen was staring at one of those said magazine covers right now, narrowing his eyes at the way the unnamed brunette girl was draping herself over Jared. Jared, of course, didn't seem to mind, all flushed cheeks and dimpled grins, always ready to smile for the paparazzi. The whole image was entirely too unprofessional, and Jensen didn't know how the boy managed to keep his reputation as an esteemed corporate leader in tact.

"If you glare any harder at that magazine, it'll catch on fire," Danneel said with amusement from across the table, "Just admit you're jealous and move on."

"I am not jealous!" Jensen protested, "I just don't understand how he gets any work done when he's constantly flaunting himself to the press."

  
"Or _maybe_ ," Danneel suggested, "You wish he was flaunting you instead."

  
Jensen peered at her over the rim of his coffee cup and rolled his eyes. "Yeah right," he scoffed between sips, "Unless he's slipping me a hundred dollar bill, I don't want anything to do with that man."

Danneel smirked and arched a perfectly shaped eyebrow. "And you really expect me to believe that's the only thing you want him to slip you?"

Jensen nearly choked on the bitter liquid in his cup. "Dude, do you have any class?" he hissed.

She merely laughed and began to drink her own hot tea, shaking her head at Jensen's flushed cheeks. "I have tons of class," she stated with a cheeky grin, "and besides, it's a valid question, considering he's slipped it to half the city by now."

"Which is exactly why I _don't_ want it," Jensen frowned. "Lord knows where that man's been."

"Hey, no slut shaming," Danneel reprimanded lightly, "You've had your fair share of hook ups."

"I'm not slut shaming!" Jensen argued, "But at least I don't publicize all my affairs."

"Well at least _I_ can admit when I want someone," Danneel said, "and I can honestly admit without shame that if Jared Padalecki invited me into bed, I wouldn't say no."

"I guess we'll have to agree to disagree," Jensen shrugged, tossing the magazine down on the table. Danneel scooped it up and started flipping through its pages.

"In the meantime," she began, zeroing in on the page where some fawning reporter had managed to score an interview with Jared, "we should do something fun."

"Like what?" Jensen asked.

"This article says that Jared's favorite club to visit is a place called The Maverick. You wanna go?" Danneel wondered, wagging her eyebrows.

"Definitely not," Jensen laughed, her idea too ridiculous to even entertain.

"Oh, come on!" she whined, "We haven't done anything like this in ages, and it's Saturday night!"

"Danneel, that place is going to be crawling with paparazzi, especially after that article. I bet there's already hundreds of other people just like us, thinking about making some sort of grand appearance in hopes that they'll get Jared's attention. Besides, he probably won't even be there tonight."

"Who cares if he is? C'mon, Jen, I just wanna see what it's like. I don't care about Jared, I care about having a good time with you."

Jensens resolve began cracking. "I dunno..."

"Pleeeease," she begged, batting her eyes sweetly, "We don't have to stay long, and if you hate it we can go do something else."

Jensen bit his lip. "You promise?"

"I swear on our friendship," Danneel said, raising her right hand in the air.

Jensen thought about it for a few minutes, then decided there wasn't any harm in going. Like he said, Jared probably wouldn't even be there, and the reporters dying to take Jared's picture would be waiting outside the door. Once he and Danneel got inside, it'd be like nothing out of the ordinary. "Fine," Jensen sighed dramatically, "We can go. But if it sucks we're leaving!"

Danneel smiled and clapped her hands, leaning over to kiss Jensen briefly on the cheek. "I don't care what Chris says about you, I knew you were more than just a grumpy bastard!"

"Chris is an idiot," Jensen grumbled, rolling his eyes at his other best friend who was off in Chicago for work stuff right now. If he were still in New York with Jensen and Danneel, they would've been at The Maverick ten minutes ago. Chris was nothing if not an instigator.

"You've got that right," Danneel agreed. She quickly drank the rest of her tea and started putting her coat on. "I hate to run, but I've gotta be at my shoot in thirty minutes."

"Don't worry about it," Jensen reassured her, "and don't worry about the bill. Just go kick ass."

"Fingers crossed," she said, standing up, "I'm kinda nervous. This is my first big gig."

"You'll be fantastic," Jensen encouraged her, "You've been waiting your whole life to finally get your shot at being a real model. They wouldn't have booked you if they didn't think you were good enough."

"I hope you're right," Daneel smiled.

"I know I'm right," Jensen told her, "First stop Maxim, next stop Vogue."

"You've always had more faith in me than I've had in myself ," she said, heading for the door, "But I expect you to be ready by nine tonight!"

Jensen saluted her on her way out. "Sir, yes sir."

Danneel gave him a wink and then she was gone.

Jensen sat back and nursed his coffee, enjoying the hustle and bustle of the busy café around him. He checked the clock and saw that it was only 12:30. He was off work today, which meant he had nearly eight hours to kill.

It was going to be a long day.

\--------

True to her word, Danneel showed up to Jensen's apartment at nine. Unfortunately for him, he'd dozed off around seven thirty, and woke up to the sound of angry pounding on his door.

"Jensen Ross, you better be dressed by the time I get this door open!"

He considered running to his room and throwing an outfit together before letting her inside, but he knew that it would only result in her criticizing his fashion choices and bitching at him for making her wait. Jensen settled for reluctantly letting her enter and mentally preparing for the backlash.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" she shouted when she saw his sweatpants and t-shirt. "Can't take you anywhere, I swear!"

"Sorry," Jensen mumbled sheepishly, "I fell asleep."

"I'm not surprised," Danneel huffed, "Bedroom. Now. Let's get you together."

He dutifully followed behind the frantic woman in front of him, admiring her simple, fitted green dress and matching heels. She wasted no time tearing into his closet and digging through his clothes, most of which she'd help him pick. Quite honestly, his limited sense of fashion came entirely from Danneel and all her clothing advice.

"Here," she tossed a pair of black jeans and a red button-up shirt at him, "Put these on and get in the bathroom."

Jensen did as told, noticing with mild discomfort that she'd chosen the jeans that fit him tighter than the other pairs he owned. Part of him wanted to argue, but he didn't want to lose a finger. Danneel was standing at the sink waiting for him, rubbing hair gel between her fingers.

"Sit so I can reach you," she ordered, jerking her head towards the toilet. She ran her small fingers through his hair quickly but effectively, styling it in a way that said 'I'm hot without having to try too hard' that he always struggled to achieve on his own.

"So how did everything go?" he questioned.

"It was amazing!" Danneel said excitedly, "They absolutely loved me."

"I told you they would," Jensen nudged her with his shoulder.

"I know you did," Danneel smiled, "Now lets get going, I have a car waiting outside for us."

Jensen threw on his shoes and offered Danneel his arm. She took it happily, sauntering her way down the stairs and outside the apartment building, looking like a million bucks. Jensen felt much the same, knowing that he must look good (considering Danneel dressed him), enjoying the feeling of having his gorgeous best friend by his side. It was always nice to go places with someone as wonderful as Danneel walking next to him.

Like Danneel said, there was a black car waiting for them by the curb, and they climbed gracefully inside, instructing the driver to their intended destination.

"You guys too, huh?" their driver said, "I just took some other dude there about an hour ago. Guess The Maverick is the place to be tonight."

"I guess so," Danneel hummed, giving Jensen a look. "Maybe it was Jared," she whispered in his ear jokingly.

"Doubtful," Jensen disagreed, "He's probably got a private chauffer."

"You got me there."

The rest of the drive was comfortably silent, filled with the music their driver put on the radio. It only took about twenty minutes to get to the club, and when they arrived it was packed. The line was so long Jensen couldn't find the end, and it looked like it wrapped at least halfway around the block.

"Shit," he grumbled. He hated waiting in line.

"At least it's warm out," Danneel offered optimistically, "So we won't have to freeze our asses off."

"Can't we just go somewhere else?" Jensen attempted half-heartedly.

"No way!" Danneel shouted, "We haven't even got inside yet! Just relax, I promise we'll have a good time."

There was no room left for protest as she tossed money at the driver and took Jensen's hand, pulling him from the vehicle. They made their way quickly to the back of the line, merging with the crowd like they belonged there. Jensen couldn't help but stare at the mass of people in front of him and feel overdressed. Everyone that was headed inside seemed to have opted out of putting together a full outfit, wearing the absolute bare minimum amount of clothing required to keep all their naughty bits covered. There were women in skirts so short they looked like bikini bottoms, and most of the men had on either wife beaters or skin-tight t-shirts. A select few decided against wearing any shirt at all.

"What kinda club is this?" Jensen asked Danneel.

"The magazine just said it was a nightclub. Could be a strip joint or somethin'," Danneel murmured.

"This is a terrible idea," Jensen disapproved.

"So you've said. Look, if you're still feeling out of place once we get in there you can just take your shirt off. You'll blend right in," she teased.

Jensen was not amused.

"I'm kidding," Danneel giggled, "Lighten up, Jen. If it's any consolation, nobody is looking at us like we've sprouted a third head. We can't be stickin' out too bad. If it sucks, we can go back to my apartment and order Chinese, but until we know for sure, you're gonna start smiling and having a good time. Okay?"

"Okay," Jensen pouted reluctantly.

Danneel gave him a pat on the cheek. "That's my boy."

After that, the wait wasn't too terrible. The crowd was pretty tame, so there wasn't any cutting up front or fist fights over accidental shoulder bumping. The bouncers by the door made quick work of either letting people in or turning them away. Jensen didn't realize there was specific criteria a person had to meet in order to be permitted inside, but the part of him that dreaded being here hoped he wasn't good enough. When it was his turn at the front of the line, he allowed for one of the men to give him the once over. The bouncer nodded and asked Jensen to lift his arms so that he could frisk him, which meant Jensen passed whatever unknown test he'd just taken. Apparently, The Maverick had a strict no-weapons policy ever since some sort of incident that happened a few years back. At least, that's what the people in front of him had said. Jensen supposed it couldn't have been too severe an accident, considering he never heard anything about it in the news, but it was always better to be safe than sorry.

Eager to get away from the large man's scrutiny, Jensen stepped behind the man and waited for Danneel to be sent through. Her dress was so tight they didn't have to check her for weapons, so she passed almost immediately.

"You ready?" she beamed at Jensen, practically vibrating with excitement.

"As I'll ever be," Jensen said. He decided to dive into this headfirst, and wasted no time pushing the double doors open with both his hands. They were immediately blasted with an overwhelming array of neon lights and loud noises, the nightlife sucking them right in.

Jensen couldn't help but stare as the doors closed behind him. "Holy shit," he gasped.

Danneel was clutching his bicep, mouth hanging wide open. "This is insane!"

All around them people swarmed, hot bodies gyrating together to the beat of the music. The room was positively massive, yet it was still so crowded that everyone was packed hip to hip. The building was fashioned much like a hotel, the dance floor they were currently standing on functioning as the "lobby" while the staircases on either side of the room led to the different "hotel" floors. From what Jensen could see there was about five different floors, and on each level, there seemed to be a collection of people. Those, too, were packed, and Jensen could only imagine what was going on behind the closed doors. Men and women danced in cages hung from the ceiling, and Jensen wondered how they managed to get up there...and how the cages didn't fall. On the fifth floor, high above everyone, a small group of men stood looking down at everything beneath them. Jensen assumed the top floor was meant for a very select group of people and that you had to be something special in order to reach that level of importance.

"I take back everything I said," Jensen marveled, "because _this_ is _awesome_."

"I don't even know where to begin," Danneel said with wanderlust, "I wanna go everywhere and do everything all at once."

"Drinks," Jensen swallowed, intimidated by the crowd, "I think we need drinks."

"I think you're right."

Jensen grabbed her by the hand and led her towards the staircase, which had a map of the place right by it. On the first floor, it said there was a bar. The second floor was labeled "male entertainment" while the third was labeled "female entertainment". Floor number four made Jensen blush, titled the "sex dungeon" and, as expected, the highest floor was off limits unless given a special pass, bright gold V.I.P. letters standing out in bold.

As Jensen and Danneel ascended the stairs to the first floor, they were shocked by what they saw. Instead of there being doors and rooms, a massive, continuous bar wrapped entirely around the circumference of the first level. There were shelves upon shelves of fine liquor and bartenders were stationed every ten feet, making drinks and serving them to the customers sitting at the counter. The pair slipped between a gap in the crowed and ordered two shots of tequila each, tossing them back without a second thought.

"I can't believe you talked me into this," Jensen said, beginning to feel the alcohol settle in his stomach and make a pleasant warmth bloom throughout his body.

"Well, I can't believe how epic this place is," Danneel said in awe. "Like, seriously, this is the coolest club I've ever been to."

Jensen ordered two more drinks. "At least now I understand why Padalecki likes to spend his weekends here."

"And we have come full circle," Danneel leered, "It always seems to come back to Jared Padalecki with you. When are you gonna man up and admit you've got a crush on the dude?"

"Can't have a crush on someone I've never met," Jensen rationalized, holding up his glass to her in a toast before swallowing it.

Danneel's eyes grew wide as a sort of frenzy seemed to spread throughout the crowd on the dance floor. Everyone seated around the bar began scrambling to peer over the railing and gawk at the scene below. "Lucky for you, Jen, now might be your chance."

Jensen turned around to see what was going on. The dancers started parting like the Red Sea, creating a path for the man coming inside, and it didn't take a genius to figure out who it was. Standing six feet four inches tall, clad in a black button-up shirt similar to Jensen's red one, black jeans, and a white baseball cap facing the wrong way, was none other than New York's most sought after bachelor, the one and only Jared Tristian Padalecki.

It was ridiculous how desperately people began to throw themselves in his path, begging him for a dance, a kiss, a fuck and anything else they could think of. Jensen would've been disgusted had he not been taken aback by how good Jared looked. He hated to admit it, even if only to himself, but the drinks were starting to mess with his brain and throw rational thought out the window.

"Fuck," he muttered to himself, hoping Danneel couldn't hear. Thankfully she didn't, and was too enraptured by the spectacle beneath them.

It was with a growing sensation of dread that Jensen realized Jared was headed towards the same set of stairs he and Danneel had gone up, clearly intending to make it to the fifth floor. That meant walking right past them in order to reach the flight that took him up there. Every head in the room turned to follow Jared with their gaze, but Jensen refused to be one of those people.

Jared was grinning from ear to ear, walking with a certain swagger to his step that came only from being the center of attention in a crowded room. Two large men flanked him, obviously his body guards. The closer his massive figure got, the less interested Jensen acted. Suddenly, his fingernails became ten times more interesting than they were before, and a blank look of indifference crossed Jensen's face as Jared walked past him. It's not like the billionaire would even notice, but ignoring him made Jensen feel better about himself.

"Oh, God, he's even bigger in person," Danneel swooned when Jared was out of earshot. Soon enough, he disappeared entirely, and the mood returned to normal.

"Is he? I didn't notice."

"It was impossible not to, Jen. I wish you'd just own up to the fact that you think he's hot."

"He'd just a guy, D.  What's the big deal?" Jensen dismissed.

"You're hopeless," Danneel frowned, "but I wanna dance, so let's go, hot stuff."

"Do we have to?" Jensen grimaced. He always felt he looked weird while dancing.

"Yes!" Danneel shouted, "You promised me you'd try to have fun, so that's what we're gonna do! Now stand up!"

Jensen got up from his barstool hesitantly, making his way back to the dance floor with Danneel. The music was much louder down here, the heavy bass pounding in Jensen's heart. Danneel pulled him to a spot towards the front, closest to the DJ's gigantic speakers, which were nearly three times his size. The movement of people around them was dirty, a fast-paced, sensual grind, layering the air thickly with sexual tension. It was easy for Danneel to get into the swing of things, turning around so that her back was pressed against Jensen's torso. She kept it simple at first, knowing it would take a while to get Jensen feeling comfortable enough that he could let go. After placing his hands on her tiny waist, she started moving her hips against him in a circular motion, getting a feel for the song. He allowed her to do most of the work, moving just enough to ensure that she could stay on beat and not be messed up by his complete lack of rhythm. 

"There you go!" She turned back to yell, having to scream over the volume of the music. The bodies around him pressed in closer, limiting his range of motion, yet making him feel more confident, as he became aware of the fact that there were too many people in the crowd to single him out. Feeling invisible and just a little drunk, Jensen allowed himself to get more adventurous. He still followed Danneel's lead, but got his knees involved as well as his hips. Their circular grinding turned into side to side swaying, permitting Danneel to keep her hands above her head, or run her fingers through her long hair. Jensen left his hands on her body but allowed them to roam where they pleased.

Eventually, the DJ switched from the hard and fast club-esque music to, slower, more intense songs. The type of thing that Jensen would have rough, deep sex to. It was easier for him to move to this, more controlled seduction, less spontaneous gyrating. Danneel started dropping lower and Jensen went with her, easing into the type of dirty dancing he knew made just about anyone look good.

Before long, another body was coming up behind him, grabbing his waist gently but firmly, and growling in his ear, "Mind if I join?".

"Be my guest," Jensen threw back, surprising himself with his answer. Most of the time he told people no, but this person actually bothered to ask before sliding all over Jensen's body uninvited, so they couldn't be that bad.

This person was also obviously male. His hands and massive gold watch were too large to be female, the chest pressing against Jensen's shoulder blades was too flat, too solid with muscle, too broad to belong to a woman. If Jensen were to turn around and look at the guys face, he would've had to let go of Danneel, which was something he didn't want to do. So instead, Jensen allowed the large man to grind against him, wondering how long it would take before the dude started to get hard. Feeling playful, Jensen made a bet with himself to make it happen before the next two songs were over.

Danneel kept dancing, unaware of the fact that someone else had made their way into Jensen's space. Since he was trapped between the two, it was hard for Jensen to copy Danneel's moves in order to turn on the man behind him, but he did the best he could. Based on the way the fingers grasping his hips kept pulling at his body, Jensen would say he's doing a pretty good job. Reaching behind him, Jensen placed a hand on the back of the guy's neck, toying with the sweaty strands of hair he felt at the base. He gave a particularly forceful roll of his hips that had Jensen's back arching, head lolling up towards the ceiling while his pelvis rocked against Danneel's ass. She must've taken it as some kind of cue, because she turned around so that her and Jensen could grind face to face.

It took her a minute to realize they weren't alone, but when she saw Jensen throwing it back like his life depended on it, her eyes grew three times their size. Assuming her reaction was merely surprise at seeing him with someone else, he smirked and thought nothing of it. She shook it off, continuing like everything was normal.

The new position gave Jensen more space to get creative, and before he knew it, he could feel the evidence of the guys arousal poking at his ass. He dropped his head and chuckled, proud of himself. Danneel caught this and faltered a little, tilting her head and observing the way the guy was now burying his head in the crook of Jensen's neck and panting, in addition to Jensen's smug grin.

"I'm gonna go get a drink!" she leaned up to say quickly, trying to scurry away.

"Wait! I'll come with you," Jensen offered.

"No!" she shouted, "Stay here! I'll be right upstairs, it'll be fine!"

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely! Just...call me if you decide to go anywhere. Have fun, be safe, and use protection," she leered with an evil grin, rushing away before Jensen could say anything. His face was already flushed from how hot it was in the club, but he somehow felt them grow even redder. He really didn't have any intentions of leaving with this man, just having some fun. Maybe it was a bit cruel and it made him a major tease, but the chances of him seeing this guy again after tonight were slim to none.

Deciding to make things more interesting, Jensen pulled away a little, removing some of the pressure his ass was putting on the guy's groin.

"Don't stop now," he groaned, trying to pull Jensen back again. Jensen resisted, settling for bending his knees and dropping low before snaking his way up the guy's body again.

"Fuckin' tease," the guy purred, leaning down to nip at Jensen's earlobe. Jensen let out a small moan, suddenly feeling electric all over.

"Lemme see your face," the guy demanded in a sultry voice. He was good. It was obvious that he knew how to seduce a person, and Jensen couldn't help but do as he was told when strong fingers gripped his chin and turned his head lightly to the side.

Sadly, the moment was ruined when he saw who he'd been rubbing himself all over. Jensen should've known the expensive watch on the guys wrist could only belong to one person in this place. Should've suspected who it was the moment he realized the guy was big, and a smooth talker, and had wispy strands of hair that came all the way down to his neck.

It was at this moment he realized he'd captivated the stares of dozens of people around him, full of longing and jealousy and unabashed wanting.

Jensen Ackles just gave Jared Padalecki a boner. And he did it in front of everybody.


	2. Just a Drink

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHHH I SUCK OH MY GOD. SORRY THIS IS SO LATE OML IT LITERALLY TOOK ME FORVER TO POST THIS. I THOUGHT BREAK WOULD BE RELAXING BUT I ENDED UP BEING SOO BUSY AND HAD NO TIME AT ALL. i also got sick bc i've been taking some major hits to my health recently so i needed a few days to recover. but that's icky stuff we won't talk about and things are fine now. ANYWAYS. THIS CHAPTER WAS A MAJOR BITCH TO WRITE, SO IM SORRY IF ITS BAD, ITS SO UNEDITED PLS HAVE MERCY ON MY SOUL.

"Oh my God!" Jensen cried, staring into the aroused face of _Jared freakin' Padalecki_ , repeating himself and uttering the only words he seemed to know, "Oh my God."

Jensen was baffled. How did this happen? What were the chances that he'd end up here, dirty dancing with _the_ Jared Padalecki? This was the one person he was trying to avoid, and somehow they wound up tangled together in public.

Irony was a bitch.

"Somethin' wrong, babe?" Jared asked, licking his lips, raking his eyes over Jensen's body.

 _Babe_? Hell no. Jensen needed to get out of here, and fast. It seemed like even more people than before were staring, the two unmoving bodies in the sea of people sticking out like sore thumbs.

"I-I'm sorry, I have to go find my friend," Jensen excused himself lamely, darting for the stairs.

"Hey, wait a sec!" Jared called from behind him. Jensen started elbowing his way through the crowd rudely, not even stopping to mumble his half-asses apologies, merely throwing them over his shoulder in a rush. He had to find Danneel and they had to get out of this place immediately. It was no wonder she'd seemed so shocked when she saw who Jensen was dancing with. He'd never hear the end of it, and there's no way she'd believe him if he said he had no clue it was Jared.

"Sorry," Jensen mumbled, shoving between a couple who appeared to do be doing a lot more than just grinding. That shit belonged on the fourth floor, with the sex dungeon, and they glared daggers at Jensen for interrupting them.

He'd almost made it through the mob, stairs in sight, starting to feel like he made it when a large hand came down on his shoulder, making him flinch.

Sure enough, Jared managed to catch up to him, and Jensen should've known trying to run would be useless. The guy's legs were bigger than trees, and he saw how people practically tripped over themselves in order to clear a path for Jared to walk.

"Where are you going?" Jared wondered. There was no anger or animosity at being left high and dry, and he didn't seem to be pissed that Jensen attempted to flee. All Jensen could see was curiosity.

"My friend," Jensen said again, "I really shouldn't leave her alone in a place like this, something could happen to her." He tried to leave again, but Jared pulled him back once more, a look of sympathy on his face.

"It's okay," Jared assured him, "I promise she's safe. There's guys on every floor to watch it for suspicious activity, so if someone were to try something they'd step in."

"I don't see any guards," Jensen argued.

"That's the point," Jared leaned in to whisper, "They look just like everyone else, so that they blend in. It makes it easier to catch the creeps, because they don't know they're being watched...but don't tell anyone I told you."

Jensen was still skeptical, and it must have shown on his face, because Jared squeezed his bicep in a comforting gesture. "I promise I'm not lying. My best friend kinda owns this place, so he tells me this stuff. And it's important to have a lot of security here, with everything that goes on upstairs. There's gotta be people to make sure everyone behaves and nobody gets hurt." 

"Oh," Jensen said dumbly. He wasn't sure what else to say.

"Can I at least get you name?" Jared said with a small smile.

"My...name?" Jensen hesitated. Real smooth.

Jared nodded.

"It's, um, Steve." _Jensen Ross, you are such an idiot_ , he thought, mentally slapping himself upside the head.

Jared's lips quirked up in a smirk. "Okay, _Steve_ ," he teased, clearly not buying the lie, "If I buy you a drink, will you tell me what your real name is?"

"I'm not sure if that's a good idea," Jensen denied.

"Oh, where's the harm? C'mon, just one drink and a name, then you can find your friend and be on your merry way. Please?"

Jensen didn't expect Jared to be so adamant. He could get with literally anybody in this room, so what was the hang up on Jensen? Why was he so special? Jared stood there looking happy and hopeful, his goofy grin and earnest eyes reminding Jensen of an over-eager puppy. It was almost alarming how fast the man could go from looking horny and flushed to childlike and playful in a matter of minutes.

Jensen bounced the idea around in his head a little. He didn't really want to pursue this any further, and if he _really_ wanted to leave he had the feeling Jared would let him. But Jared was also being sorta pushy, and somehow Jensen felt like accepting the drink would be the easiest way to get the billionaire off his back.

"Fine," Jensen gave in, "One drink. And then I have to go."

"Okay!" Jared perked up, placing a hand lightly on the small of Jensen's back, guiding him towards the stairs. Jensen wanted to shrug off his touch but refrained.

He was escorted to an empty seat near the middle of the massive bar extending around the first floor, plopping down nervously on the stool. Jared remained standing, leaning casually against the counter with his left arm. A petite blonde girl who was working ran over to greet him, batting eyelashes and begging to take his order.

"Two beers, darlin'," Jared drawled, slathering on charm and finesse that had the girl blushing red.  Jensen blinked. This smooth-talker was a lot different than the puppy he'd just been with downstairs.

Jared looked down at Jensen, trying to maintain the suave persona he'd pulled out of thin air, and Jensen did his best to smile back, but then Jared's face changed.

"You like beer, right?" His eyebrows drew together and a small frown tugged at the corners of his lips. "I should've asked you first, I'm sorry."

"Beer's fine," Jensen said, trying to hide his amusement over Jared's concern. The man was full of surprises.

Relief washed over Jared's face as he relaxed once more. "Oh good!"

Jensen agreed softly and looked down, playing with his fingers like he'd done when Jared first entered the room. The younger man didn't seem phased, peering over Jensen's head to survey the crowd. He caught something out of the corner of his eye, and tapped Jensen lightly when he said, "Hey I think that's your friend over there."

Jensen turned to look, and sure enough, Danneel was animatedly conversing with a man double her size, waving her hands around and flipping her hair everywhere. She didn't look like she was in trouble, just really invested in the conversation, and the guy she was talking to kept nodding along intently.

"That's Cliff," Jared explained, "The absolute best in the business. There's nowhere safer for her to be in this place than with him."

"So he's one of those undercover bodyguards you told me about," Jensen said, turning his attention back to Jared.

"Mhm. He's also a family friend. Been around since I was sixteen. He worked for my parents for a little while and was there for me a lot when I was growing up. Cliff's a great guy," Jared reminisced.

Then the blonde was back with their beers, bending over the counter to set them down and flash Jared her chest. "Can I get you anything else?" she leered.

"That's all, thank you," Jared politely dismissed.

She pouted a little and quickly gave Jensen the side eye. "Okay. I'm Mandy if you change your mind," she tried licking her lips in what she thought was seduction before snaking away.

Jensen grabbed for his beer. "Subtle," he mumbled, shaking his head.

Jared chuckled awkwardly and rubbed at the back of his neck. "I'm sorry, that seems to always happen, I dunno why," he said, almost shyly.

Jensen quirked an eyebrow at Jared. Seriously? He was young, rich, and- yes, okay- undeniably attractive, yet he still didn't know why women flocked to him like geese? Jared wasn't dumb, Jensen knew as much, it took a lot of intelligence to work yourself up to a position of Jared's standing before the age of thirty-five, but gazing at the taller man's face, Jensen could see he was genuinely clueless. And a little bit uncomfortable under Jensen's burning stare.

He shook himself out of it, tearing his eyes away from Jared's face to study the bottle in his hands instead. He didn't say anything, unwilling to be the one to inflate Jared's ego. It was probably all just an act anyways, pretending to humble and adorable, as a way to trick Jensen into thinking Jared had other intentions besides getting them in bed together.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but can I take you upstairs?" Jared asked, drumming his fingers against the countertop. "It's really loud down here, and I'm afraid that Mandy might try to come back for more."

"Strippers and sex clubs ain't my scene," Jensen denied, unwilling to go any farther than the first floor.

Jared paled a little. "No, no not there. The fifth floor. The VIP area is never crowded, and I have my own room we could talk in. I promise that you're friend will be in good hands down here with Cliff, and nobody will do anything to her while he's around."

In all honesty, Jensen was more worried about himself right now than Danneel. He knew she was safe, but he didn't know whether or not Jared would try to pull anything. Not that he came off as the type of guy who forced people to have sex with him, Jensen was just worried over having to make the situation awkward by telling him no if he made a move.

"Talk?" Jensen doubted, "You're trying to tell me that after buying me a drink, then getting me upstairs, alone, the only thing you got planned is _talking_?"

Jared cringed and looked away. "I know it sounds bad," he said apologetically, "and I'm really sorry if I came off as aggressive or something downstairs. I don't usually do that sorta thing, but uh, you looked really, um...yanno. And I was just...I don't know, but when I saw you I got kinda carried away and then, uh...well you were there and you know what happened. But I promise all I wanna do is talk. I'll stay on my side of the room, you can stay on yours, and there will be guys standing outside the door so if you feel uncomfortable just yell, and they'll be inside to come get you immediately, I promise."

Jensen sighed. Why was Jared so desperate for him anyways? The whole thing didn't make any sense, but the look on the guys face was enough to have Jensen feeling pretty bad for him. Plus, as much as he absolutely hated to admit it, Jensen played just as big a part in what went down on the dance floor as Jared did. Sure, Jensen hadn't _known_ it was Jared, but Jared didn't know who Jensen was either, he just thought Jensen was a good-looking guy. Jared even asked permission before trying anything, which Jensen had granted immediately, so the guy technically didn't do anything wrong. Neither of them did. So it wasn't fair that Jared felt so guilty over something he didn't have to be guilty for.

"Thirty minutes," Jensen said, "and then I've gotta get home. It's late and I have to be at work early tomorrow morning."

"Great!" Jared exclaimed, smiling the biggest, brightest grin Jensen's ever seen. After getting to his feet, Jensen followed Jared's lead upstairs. He shivered a little going past the fourth floor, seeing some things he really wished he hadn't, stomach twisting in little nervous knots.

Thankfully, the VIP floor was sparsely populated, the only people in sight being the body guards by every door and the two guys peering down that Jensen had seen before. They smiled when they saw Jared, the younger of the two wearing a look that was almost predatory, while the older, taller man appeared to have more fatherly pride.

"Good show, good show. Marvelous," the blond one leered, clapping his hands together slowly, "We demand an encore. Isn't that right, Jeff?"

" _You_ demand an encore," the other guy said, " _I_ demand another drink."

"Chad, knock it off," Jared grumbled, punching the blond- Chad, apparently- in the shoulder. Jensen was surprised to see a light blush dusting Jared's cheeks.

"What? I'm just playin' around," Chad blinked, feigning innocence. He peeked behind Jared to get a good look at Jensen, taking him in from head to toe.

"Hi," he introduced, sticking out his hand, "I'm Chad."

"Jensen," he answered, extending his hand to return the gesture.

"Firm shake," Chad approved, "Nice to meet ya. My far less handsome and extremely old pal over here's Jeff."

"Make all the old man jokes you want, I still get more pussy than you on your best days," Jeff scoffed. Jensen wasn't surprised. The man was good-looking, tall, and well-dressed, with dark hair, salt and pepper scruff, and glasses that probably served more as a fashion statement than an aid for visual impairment.

"Hey!" Chad cried indignantly, "I'm a hit with the ladies and you know it! Besides, I own this place. Keep insulting me and I'll throw you out on your ass. We don't want that do we? You might break a hip, Grandpa."

"Only thing I'm gonna break is your nose, you brat," Jeff threatened, but the grin on his face showed no true malice behind the words.

"Buy me a drink and take me downstairs if you wanna play rough, big boy," Chad winked.

"Sorry, grown men who act like children aren't my type."

"Yeah, you're probably right. I've never been into elderly dudes anyways."

"Are you two done flirting?" Jared interrupted, amused.

"Why, are you jealous? Don't worry, baby, you'll get your turn," Chad joked.

Jared rolled his eyes. "You're an idiot. Gimmie my key."

"What's the magic word?" Chad said, reaching for the chain around his neck, tucked safely inside his shirt. The was a handful of shiny keys dangling on the end of the silver cord, and he thumbed through them before removing the one with a fancy "J" scripted on the front. 

" _Please_ ," Jared snarked, snatching the key right out of Chad's hands.

"Rude," Chad mumbled under his breath. "You two better not break anything. You break it, you buy it, that's my rule."

Jensen blushed for what felt like the hundredth time that night, opening his mouth to protest before Jared beat him to the punch.

"Chad," he hissed, "knock it off, it's not like that."

Chad laughed. "You expect me to believe there won't be any dirty nasty shit going down in that room after you made me watch all that foreplay on the dance floor?"

"You have no tact," Jeff pitched in from the side.

"I didn't make you do shit," Jared said, "and some of us can actually have a civilized conversation without jumping into bed."

"But why would you want to?" Chad sighed, staring off into some sort of dream land.

"We're leaving," Jared announced, taking Jensen's hand and pulling him towards a room with a black door.

"That's a damn shame," Chad tssked, "'Cause you were totally right. Jensen _does_ have lips made for-"

"Goodbye Chad!" Jared screamed, slamming the door shut as he and Jensen stepped in the room. Jared's cheeks were still stained a dark shade of red too, and Jensen could feel heat creeping up his neck, as well.

_Lips made for what?_

"I'm sorry," Jared apologized, "He means well, but, uh, it doesn't always come off that way. He's a good guy, the best actually, he just likes busting my balls 'cause I've known him since we were kids."

"It's fine. You can stop apologizing for everything, I'm okay," Jensen brushed it off, more focused on all the expensive things that furnished the room, than some guy's harmless teasing.

On one side was a black leather couch, and a huge flat screen was mounted to the wall opposite of that. A rug that probably cost more than Jensen's entire life savings was in the middle of it all, a glass table with (surprisingly) a variety of different books scattered on it. The light coming from the ceiling was a soft yellow glow, and Jensen could tell they were those color-changing things he always secretly thought were kinda cool. There weren't any windows, and only one door. The walls were painted dark, the floor was made of tile, and there was even a small kitchen with pretty marble countertops.

But the part that caught Jensen's eye was the California King bed at the end of the room.

"You can have a seat if you want," Jared said, startling Jensen. He thought he'd been caught gaping at the bed, until he saw Jared gesturing to the couch, and nodded in relief. Jared waited until Jensen had made himself comfortable in the corner before he sat down himself, sitting on the complete other side, as promised.

"So," Jared began, breaking the awkward silence before it had the chance to get uncomfortable, "Your name's Jensen, huh?"

Oh, Fuck.

"Shit," he cursed, "I wasn't even thinking." Jensen had introduced himself to Chad before coming clean with Jared.

"No big deal," Jared shrugged, "I'm just glad Steve isn't you're real name. It doesn't suit you."

"Hey what's that supposed to mean?" You don't think I can pull off Steve?" Jensen was joking for the most part, but a small portion of himself didn't know whether to be offended or not.

"That's not it at all. Steve just seemed so simple. I think 'Jensen' is more your style," Jared complimented. At least...Jensen thought it was a compliment. He wasn't sure. Normally, reading people was easy for him, but Jared was throwing off his game.

"Thanks, I think," Jensen murmured.

"I've gotta admit, I'm really surprised you agreed to come up here with me," Jared admitted, grinning sheepishly at the floor, peeing up at Jensen through his lashes.

It was hotter than Jensen expected it to be.

"Truthfully, so am I," Jensen said, "This isn't my typical Saturday night. It was sort of a fight just to get me here."

"What is your typical Saturday?" Jared inquired.

Jensen was a little bit embarrassed. He wasn't sure why, but no matter what his answer was, Jensen knew it wouldn't be anywhere near as glamorous as Jared's obviously exciting lifestyle. "Nothing, really. Most of the time I stay home. Sometimes I stay at my friends' apartments."

Jared raised an eyebrow. "I thought you weren't gonna lie to me anymore."

"I'm not lying," Jensen said indignantly.

"You mean to tell me that people aren't breaking down your door and clamoring for your attention?" Jared muddled, "You don't have people taking you out constantly?"

"No," Jensen said, bewildered, "Why would I?"

"Have you seen you? Jensen, I've travelled to over eighty different countries, met thousands of people, seen millions of faces, and yet you're still one of the most attractive people I've ever seen," Jared told him. Apparently, he was taking the direct approach.

Jensen looked away, the blush on his cheeks becoming a permanent fixture now. "Jesus Christ," he said self-consciously. Accepting compliments wasn't his strong suit. "You use that line on all your victims?"

"I'm serious," Jared chuckled, "If I wasn't I would've never approached you in the first place. Or tried so hard to get you up here."

"Desperate doesn't look good on anybody, Jared," Jensen teased, "Just a little tip for next time."

Jared smirked. "There's gonna be a next time?"

Well, shit. That's not what Jensen meant. Saying no seemed rude, however, so he just shrugged.

"So what's this job you have to leave me for in the morning?" Jared wondered. "It better be good if it's stealing you away from me."

Jensen wasn't sure if he wanted to answer truthfully. He's always been weird about telling people what he does. It's not that he's ashamed of his work or anything, he tends to be quite proud of his novels, but this question always breeds to deeper levels of discussion he often doesn't want to answer.

"I'll know if you lie," Jared added cheekily, sensing Jensen's pause.

"I'm a writer," he said, eventually.

"You write books?" Jared said excitedly, "What kind?"

"A little bit of everything," Jensen answered, "My most recent series kinda has a mix of it all. Sci-fi. Horror. I managed to throw in some comedy, and a lot of the fans seem to find romance..."

"Your most recent _series_? How many books are there? What's it called? What's it's about?" Jared interrogated. Jensen had to admit, he was shocked Jared seemed so invested. But it shouldn't have come as a surprise that the younger man liked books, having seen a stack of them upon entering the room. Besides, Jared was more than just a playboy and a partier. He dominated a business empire, so there had to be some part of him that enjoyed engaging in more intellectual activities.

"Two brother on the road," Jensen said, "They drive around the country, hunt monsters, kill bad things. I know it sounds silly, but I had a weird dream a few years ago and when I told my friends about it they said I should create something. Thus, _Supernatural_ was born and here I am."

Jared eyes were wide and he looked like a child. "Awesome," he breathed, "Can I read them?"

"I guess," Jensen said, "If you wanna, I won't be the one to stop you."

"Are you meeting with your editor tomorrow?"

"Yup," Jensen nodded, "She wants to go over some stuff with me and prepare for the release of the fifth book."

"I can't wait to get my hands on them," Jared said. He gave Jensen another look through his lashes. This one was more heated than the last, but Jensen wasn't so sure Jared knew he was doing it.

 _I can't wait to get my hands on_ you, it said.

Jensen chose to ignore it. He reached for one of the books on the table instead, eyebrows raising when he saw Hemingway.

"You like Hemingway?" Jensen asked, trying to conceal his excitement.

"There is no friend as loyal as a book," Jared quoted, laughing to himself quietly. Jensen continued to sort through the pile, beyond pleased to find a litany of other classics. Dickens. Austen. Lee. Steinbeck. Shakespeare. Not only was Jared into reading, but he was into deep, thought-provoking, arguably life-changing novels. The books that inspired Jensen's desire for creativity and passion for literature in high school.

"I like to come here during the day, when nobody's around and things are quiet, to read. It gives me a break from the real world and there's less distractions here," Jared explained.

Before he knew it, Jensen had launched into a loaded discussion filled with both their thoughts every single book currently in the room. They covered the basics, like writing style and plot, then continued on to some more personal stuff, such as which book stuck with them the most and why. How did they relate to the metaphors often present in novels? Which characters did they see themselves in the most? What drew them to the story in the first place?

When Jensen checked his phone, it felt like only minutes had passed, and he was stunned to see that it'd been hours.

"Oh, fuck!" he swore, jumping to his feet. Three missed calls from Danneel.

"Is everything alright?" Jared worried.

"Yeah, I just...I didn't realize how late it was. It's after one, I'm supposed to be waking up in a few hours," Jensen told him.

"Shit," Jared said, "I didn't even realize. I'm sorry, if I'd known I never would have kept you this long."

"No, it's fine. I actually enjoyed myself quite a lot," Jensen assured, with a smile.

"I'm glad things weren't as sucky as you predicted," Jared joked, "I'll walk you out. Do you need help finding your friend?"

Jensen shook his head. "I'll be alright."

"Then I guess this is it" Jared said as they reached the door. Jensen was standing with his back to the wood as Jared loomed in front of him, peering down at the older man's lips. "Am I ever gonna see you again?"

"I hope so," Jensen breathed, honestly. He'd be lying if he said he didn't ever want to see Jared again. He was different than expected, and Jensen had a nice time.

"Good," Jared smirked. He leaned down a little, and for one heart-stopping moment, Jensen thought Jared was going to kiss him. Thankfully, he didn't. He merely reached around Jensen's body to grab to door knob and open it for him. "See you around, Jen."

"Thanks for the drink," Jensen said, stepping out into the noise again.

"Pleasure's all mine," Jared winked.

The door shut between them.


	3. Garden of Roses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EEEEEEEP THIS TOOK FOREVER AND ITS NOT VERY LONG/GOOD BUT I FELT BAD THAT ID LEFT IT HANGING FOR SO LONG THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PATIENCE <33

"Jensen Ross Ackles if you don't start talking immediately I swear to god I'll scream."

"Me too, Jen, I was there. I know something went down."

"Will both of you just _drop_ it?" Jensen sighed, "I'm telling you, nothing happened! All we did was talk!"

"I'm not buying it," Danneel argued, "The look on your face when you came out of that room told me everything."

"And the picture on the cover of this magazine says otherwise, too," Chris said. He was back from his business trip, having returned to New York only a few hours ago.  It was the morning after Jensen's night with Jared, and their faces were already plastered on every magazine, newspaper, and website a person could think of. Someone had snapped a picture of them dancing, and Jensen hasn't been able to take his eyes off the magazine Chris slapped down on the table the second he arrived. The trio was crowded in Jensen's tiny apartment living room, completely exhausted. Chris hadn't stopped home to sleep when he got back, far too excited over the picture, and eager to interrogate Jensen. He and Danneel have been pestering him for details, and depriving him of the sleep he so desperately needed.

Head throbbing, Jensen rubbed his temples and explained himself for what felt like the hundredth time. "I already told you, I didn't know it was him until after I turned around." 

"But you could've left, or told him no," Chris pointed out.

"I _know_ , I _did_ tell him no, but he insisted," Jensen said, annoyed.

"So he forced you to go with him?" Danneel asked.

"No," Jensen denied, "He didn't force me to do anything."

"Which means you went willingly," Chris stated.

"No, I didn't."

"Well which one is it then? Jared either made you go with him, or you chose to do it."

"To do what? We didn't sleep together! And I didn't _want_ to go with him, I felt bad saying no! He was persistent, but he didn't make me do anything. I can't explain it, the whole situation was weird," Jensen huffed.

Chris was shaking his head. "Oh, Jensen. You're such a pushover."

"I am not!"

"You literally just said you couldn't tell the guy no because you felt bad about it. That's being a pushover."

"You know what," Jensen said, getting up to go make a third pot of coffee,"I'm done talking about this. And I don't owe you guys an explanation. It was one night- one _sex free_ night- and all I did was have a conversation with the guy."

"I think you guys did a little more than talk," Chris argued, holding up the magazine, "I leave you for two days and next thing I know, you're seducing billionaires."

"Fuck you," Jensen snapped, "Go home."

"Oh, lighten up," Danneel said, "We're just screwing around. You don't wanna tell us what happened, that's fine. We can talk about it when you're ready."

"I don't think I'll ever be ready, considering there's nothing to tell," Jensen snarked, reaching for his mug, "I need to get some sleep. I'm supposed to be meeting Felicia soon and I'd like to be awake enough to hold a conversation."

"Fine," Danneel and Chris chorused.

Chris was pouting heavily, adding a bit of an over-dramatic flare as always. "Go ahead and ruin the fun. But you can't escape me forever, so watch out."

"Oh, I'm terrified," Jensen said, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

Danneel came over to kiss his cheek before they left. "Good luck at your meeting. Tell Felicia I said hi, okay?"

"Sure thing," Jensen promised.

"Are you guys coming over for dinner later?" Chris asked, searching for his coat.

"I can't, I'm going out with Genevieve," Danneel said.

"Who's she?" Jensen wondered.

Danneel smiled. "A new friend I made at the shoot yesterday. She just moved to New York. Said she only knows one person up here, but he couldn't get off work tonight to show her around, so I suggested we get dinner and then offered to take her on a tour of the city."

"S'cute," Chris chimed in, smirking, "It sounds like a date."

"It's not a date," Danneel scoffed, "It's called being nice."

"Whatever. You gonna bail on me too, Jen?"

"Not a chance. See you guys later."

The moment they shut the door, Jensen was out cold on the couch, coffee untouched on the kitchen counter.

\----

It was a miracle Jensen made it on time.

After dozing off so suddenly he forgot to set an alarm, but he woke up with just enough time to brush his teeth and change. After a thirty minute ride, he was seated opposite of Felicia who had a wicked grin on her face.

"Shit," Jensen began, eyes growing wide with mild horror, "Don't tell me you saw it too."

"Everybody saw it!" She laughed, "It's _everywhere_."

"This is bad," Jensen groaned, wishing the world would suck him up and swallow him whole. What if his parents came across it? What would they think? Would they be embarrassed of him? "Oh my god, this is so freakin' bad."

"Relax," Felicia said with a wave of her hand, "It's not as awful as you think."

Jensen was incredulous. "Are you positive you've seen the same image as me? He has his hands on my _ass_. People I don't even know are gonna think I'm some sort of slut!"

Felicia frowned and typed a few things in her computer before she spun it around so that Jensen was faced with the god awful image. "His hands are on your _hips_ ," she corrected, "and neither of you are showing an obscene amount of skin like the guy in the background. This type of thing happens to Jared all the time, it'll blow over by tomorrow."

"Lovely, now I'm just another one of those Barbies he's always flaunting," Jensen complained, burying his face in his hands, "Everyone is gonna think we had sex, and that I did it for my fifteen minutes of fame."

"Wait," Felicia paused, "You guys didn't sleep together?"

" _No_!" Jensen cried, more miserable with every passing second.

"Oh," she said, shocked, "Uh, wow. Don't take this the wrong way but...why not?"

"Because I didn't even know it was him!" Jensen yelled, exasperated, "Danneel made me go to the club with her and when we were dancing I felt some guy come up behind me. I didn't bother checking who it was, and when I wasn't paying attention somebody snapped a picture and now everyone thinks I fucked Jared Padalecki!"

Felicia turned her computer towards her again and gave the screen an appreciative glance. "I mean, I don't think anyone would blame you....yanno, if you did bang Jared."

"We didn't have sex! Why doesn't anyone believe me?"

"I never said I didn't believe you! All I said was that I understand. And look, this headline says you and Jared have the potential to be one of the hottest couples of 2017."

"The hottest _what_? We just met last night, we've never even gone on a date!"

"Do you want to go on a date with Jared?"

Jensen's cheeks tinted pink. "No, of course not!"

Felicia shrugged, unconvinced. "Okay."

"Look, can we forget about this, and get down to business now? Please?" Jensen begged, desperate for a topic change.

"Alright, I guess that's enough torture for one day," Felecia grinned, "What do ya have for me?"

"Hell," Jensen said, "Literally."

"I like what I'm hearing."

He pulled out his rough, typed up copy of the first few chapters, and handed them to Felicia who's eyes were reading over the pages with serious concentration.

"I think since we ended the fourth book on such a strong note, we should carry it over into the fifth," Jensen explained, "I want Lucifer to play a big part in the boys' lives, more importantly Sam's. I want more angels, more demons, the Four Horsemen, new monsters, bigger threats. Pain, heartbreak, questionable morals. It's the same story, two brothers willing to go to immeasurable lengths to save each other and the world, only this time it's better."

"This is delicious," Felicia said appreciatively, lapping it up, "As your friend, your editor, and a huge fan of your work, I think this could quite possibly be your best book yet."

They continued discussing details, changing some things here and there, and pitched around new ideas when a knock at the door interrupted their conversation.

"Come in," Felicia called, unwilling to take her eyes from the pages.

Jensen saw the flowers before he saw the man. The guy was holding a huge bouquet of red roses, and Jensen's heart was in his throat before the delivery man even opened his mouth.

"Is there a Jensen Ackles here?"

"Me," Jensen croaked, "That's me."

"Well, Jensen," the man said, struggling to find room to set them down on Felicia's desk, "I don't know who did what to upset you, but whoever it was really wants to make things better." 

"It doesn't say who it's from?" Jensen asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Nope. We weren't given a name."

"Oh. Well, t-thank you," Jensen stuttered, palms sweating as he stared at the flowers. When it was just him and Felicia in the room, he watched the look on her face change from stunned, to excited.

"Read the note," she ordered.

"I don't even see one," Jensen breathed.

"Here," she said, eagerly plucking a small paper card from her side of the bouquet (practically garden).

Jensen took it from her with shaking fingers, swallow heavily before saying, "I didn't know we had unwelcome guests. Sorry for the confusion. -J".

"Oh no," Jensen moaned, at the same time Felicia stood up and screamed, "Oh yes!"

"How did he even know where to send these?" Jensen wondered aloud while Felicia started buzzing happily.

"I knew there was something going on!"

"Felicia, sit down! There is nothing between between Jared and I! This is an apology, that's it!"

She eyed the roses. "That's one hell of an apology. It's almost like Jared actually cares if you're upset or not. But you're right there's toootally nothing going on."

"I can't accept these," Jensen said, "I have to send them back."

"Like hell you do!"

"If I keep them he'll think I like him."

Felicia scowled and plucked the card from Jensen's fingers. "He didn't send them just so you could give them back. Keep the damn flowers and accept the nice gesture."

"You're not giving me another option are you?"

"If you don't take these home with you, I will refuse to publish any book you write from here on."

Jensen faked a smile. "I think these will look great on the living room table."

"That's what I thought."

\-----

After a long, awkward subway ride home, Jensen hauled the massive roses into his apartment and set them down on the kitchen table with a grunt. They were heavy, and he accidentally pricked his finger a couple times trying to reposition his grip.

Jensen slumped down on the couch, and snagged the remote to turn on the TV, planning to relax for a few hours before he did something productive. But day time television sucked, and there wasn't anything interesting on.

 _Boring_ , he thought, _boring, boring, boring....you've got to be fucking kidding me._

The goddamn picture was on TV. A perky blond woman in a tight dress was smiling at the camera like she knew something her audience didn't, while she spewed out all the "highlights" of Jensen's night with Jared.

_"That's right ladies, New York's biggest heartthrob Jared Padalecki was caught getting down and dirty with another man last night. After the picture went viral, people everywhere couldn't help but wonder who the lucky guy is. Some sources say they saw the pair disappear sometime around eleven, and weren't spotted again until one. Here's what Jared has to say."_

The screen cut to a video of Jared being practically ambushed outside what Jensen (grudgingly) noticed to be a flower store. It was the same blonde woman from before, darting up to Jared with her fake tits and flashing smile. Much to Jensen's irritation, Jared leered at her and slid into the role of a Casanova with ease. Her beginning questions were basic, asking how he enjoyed going to the Maverick, and what was it like being a VIP member of such an established nighttime hotspot. Once he loosened up a bit more she brought Jensen into things, determined to give the people the answers they want.

" _So I'm sure you've seen the photo that's going around by now,"_ Blondie said, _"how do you feel about that?"_

 _"I guess I'm sort of used to it,"_ Jared shrugged, _"After I made a name for myself I figured it was something I'd have to adjust to. I can't say I particularly understand the hype over a boring old businessman such as myself, but it's alright."_

 _"And you're...friend,"_ she pushed, " _How do you think he feels?"_

Jensen stiffened as Jared's face fell.

 _"I don't imagine he's too happy about it. I feel terrible about what happened. That's why I'm here,"_ Jared explained, gesturing to the shop.

 _"You bought flowers for him?"_ Blondie squealed.

_"Yeah, I just wanted to apologize for not being more aware of who was around us."_

_"A lot of people are already excited over the thought of you two becoming something more. Care to comment?"_

Good lord, she was like a vulture.

 _"I don't think there's anything I'd like to say about that at this particular moment,"_ Jared said. Jensen let out a relieved breath. _"But we had a good time talking last night, so I hope I get to see him again."_

Jensen's stomach flipped in all sorts of ways it shouldn't, making him feel a little nauseous. He had to turn off the TV and sat quietly for a few moments wondering how one night could have such massive repercussions. He needed to get out of the house and do something. Maybe go for a run, head to the gym. He wasn't sure. The only thing Jensen knew for certain was that this was only the beginning of a long, hard journey and he was completely, absolutely, and totally fucked.


	4. Promises, Promises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what's this?! an update?! sorry it's been so long, i've been busy trying to go out with my friends and enjoy my short-lived summer vacation. i've also been lacking inspiration, which explains why this chapter is only 2.3k words and my wiriting is mediocre at best. thank you all for being patient with me. I'd also like to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who left nice comments on the last chapter, i'm so sorry if i didn't reply but i read every single one and they meant the world to me <33

As promised, Jensen went to see Chris for dinner.

Things were great at first. They sprawled out on the floor next to the coffee table, and Chris told Jensen all about the adventures he had during his brief time away from New York, which included a particularly unbelievable story about a threesome with a stripper and a hairdresser, that left Jensen in tears. He laughed so hard his face turned red and his sides started to hurt, convinced that the entire thing was fabricated from Chris' overactive imagination. When Chris lifted his shirt to show Jensen the bruises still dotting his skin, there was no denying the validity of it all, which made Jensen laugh even harder. They drank too much booze, ate too much Chinese food and started slurring their words around 11 o'clock. Jensen was happier than he'd been in a long time, glad he finally got to spend some quality time with his best friend. The best part was that there was absolutely no mention of a certain Jared Padalecki, who has been occupying more of Jensen's thoughts than he'd like to admit. For a little while, Jensen got to pretend that Jared didn't even exist.

Right up until the point that he slipped up, and made a snarky comment about the flowers wilting on the table.

"Oooooooh, the handsome billionaire has a crush on yooou," Chris crooned, pinching Jensen's cheeks.

Jensen scowled and knocked them away. The only things more annoying than his best friend's "baby voice" were his hands. "Shuddup, he just feels bad."

"Mhm," Chis raised a skeptical brow, "He's been photographed with plenty of other people without consent. Has he ever run off to buy them flowers and offer a public apology on national television?"

"That's different," Jensen tried to explain, "All those other women were with him for the attention. He didn't have to apologize."

"Did those women say that to Jared?" Chris asked.

Jensen shrugged. "They didn't have to."

"Did _Jared_ tell you those women were only with him for publicity?" Chris pushed.

The ceiling was suddenly a lot more interesting to Jensen, and he had to pull his gaze away from Chris. "No."

"Then you're making assumptions," Chris chuckled, "Maybe those women- not all of them, but some- had real feelings for Jared and didn't wanna be put in the limelight. They could've wanted a serious relationship."

"I don't get what the other women have to do with me."

"It's not about the other women, it's about Jared. And his big gay crush on you," Chris giggled.

"Eat me," Jensen grumbled, lips pulling down into a pout.

"Oh, stop being such a baby. Seriously, you're the only person I know who would be upset over the fact that a hot rich dude wants to bang you."

"Yeah, well, it's never gonna happen," Jensen said stubbornly, folding his arms across his chest.

"What do you mean _never_ , it already did," Chris said in a tone that screamed "duh".

"Christian! I did not have sex with Jared Padalecki!" Jensen shouted, angry that despite all his protests, nobody believed him.

Chris looked disheartened. "Oh. Y-You were serious?"

"Yes!"

"Well shit. You're such a buzzkill!"

Jensen was appalled. "Just because I didn't wanna sleep with a guy who's put his dick in half the city, that warrants me the title of _buzzkill_?"

"Yep," Chris agreed, "You're ruining all my theories."

"What damn theories?" Jensen demanded, "Dude this is my life, not an episode of Gossip Girl, don't make theories!"

"How dare you!" Chris gasped, "I only watched one season of Gossip Girl!"

Jensen gave him a disbelieving look, "Only one?"

"Okay, fine, it was two."

"Really?"

Chris looked defensive but admitted with red cheeks, "It's not my fault! Cassie made me watch it with her when we were together!"

"I dunno. You're so inclined to believe I slept with Jared, so maybe _I'm_ inclined to believe that you watched Gossip Girl of your own accord," Jensen threatened.

Chris narrowed his eyes. "Touché, Ackles. I'll drink to that."

Jensen smiled, "I'll drink to anything."

Chris reached for the pricy bottle of champagne his boss had given him in Chicago, and poured two more rounds. They clinked their glasses and tossed the liquid back without a second thought.

"Lemme get serious here for a minute," Chris patted Jensen's leg, "So don't roll your eyes and freak out until I say what I have to."

"Look, if this is about Jared-"

"Shut up!" Chris said, shoving Jensen lightly, "I told you not to speak. Yes, it's about Jared, because other than denying you guys slept together, you haven't really told me anything."

"I don't have anything to tell you," Jensen said.

"There's _always_ something to tell. You were drunk, and caught off guard in a place that Jared rules like a kingdom. I know you said you didn't exactly go with him willingly, and when I asked if he forced you to do anything you said no, but I was bein' an ass at the time, so who knows if you were serious. Tell me what happened so I know you're okay," Chris said it all with a look in his eyes that showed Jensen he was being completely serious.

"I'm fine," Jensen assured gently, "I tried to leave at first, but he insisted that he buy me a drink, and even though I was reluctant, I agreed. He was a perfect gentleman the whole time, his hands didn't go anywhere they shouldn't, and when he asked me to go upstairs, he promised he wouldn't do anything to make me uncomfortable. And he didn't. We actually talked about books, of all things, and the conversation wasn't entirely unpleasant. I like how he sees literature."

"Books?" Chris chuckled, "You guys talked about books?"

"Yeah," Jensen said, "What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing," Chris smiled, "It's just a very 'Jensen' thing to do."

"Should I be offended?"

"Not at all. I'm glad you're alright."

"Thanks. Can we stop being sappy and drink more?" Jensen asked, appreciative of Chris' concern, but unwilling to prolong conversation about Jared not being as terrible as the tabloids make him seem.

"I thought you'd never ask," Chris stood up and headed for the kitchen, "Let's crack open the other bottle, yeah?"

There was a knock at the door while Chris was in the other room. Jensen called out "I'll get it!" before going to see who it was.

"Danneel!" he exclaimed, "What are you doing here? I thought you were showing your friend around the city."

"I am," Danneel grinned, gesturing to the petite brunette Jensen failed to notice standing by her side, "We finished up earlier than expected, and I couldn't take her on a tour of New York without introducing her to the biggest clowns in the city."

"Ha ha," sarcasm dripped from Jensen's voice, "You're so funny. When are you gonna give up modeling to pursue a career in stand-up comedy?"

Danneel winked and pushed her way inside, leaving the other woman alone in front of him.

"Hi," he introduced, "I'm Jensen."

"Genevieve," the woman said politely, "But you can call me Gen."

She was looking at him like she'd seen him before but couldn't remember where, and there was a little bit of surprise on her face that she covered up quickly.

"Come on in," Jensen gestured her inside with a grand sweep of his arm.

"Thank you," she said, almost shyly. She stepped inside with a sort of grace that only a model could possess. It was obvious as to why the camera would adore her. Even though she was short, she was beautiful, and had long legs that looked great in heels. Gorgeous was an understatement, and while Jensen stared at Gen and Danneel side by side, he began wishing (just a little bit) that he wasn't born gay.

"I'd ask what you boys have been up to, but the empty glasses tell me all I need to know," Danneel smirked. As if on cue, Chris reappeared with the other bottle of champagne.

"Dani!" he cried, happiness written all over his face, "Glad you could make it! This must be the friend you were telling us about."

"This is Gen," Danneel nodded, reaching for the bubbly, "You better grab two more glasses."

"Make yourself at home," Chris said to Gen, "I'd like to warn you that Jensen and I already drank a lot, which means we are no longer responsible for our actions."

"Thanks for the heads up," Gen chuckled, "Where should I sit?"

"Wherever you want," Chris shrugged, "Jensen and I were on the couch, so there's fine."

The girls talked almost themselves as they went, and Chris nudged Jensen's shoulder. "She's really hot. Think once I got to know her I'd have a chance?"

Jensen laughed, "I think you're drunk and that's the champagne talking."

"Dude!" Chris gasped, "You don't think I could get Gen to go on a date with me?"

"Those words never left my mouth," Jensen shook his head, "You said it, not me."

Chris looked indignant. "I could totally get her to go out with me. Just you watch. And here I thought it was a best friend's job to be his bro's wingman."

"Sorry champ," Jensen apologized insincerely, clapping him once on the back,"Maybe next time."

He plucked the bottle from Chris's hand and winked, "Go get the girls their glasses."

"So," Jensen said, going to sit next to Danneel, "How's New York treating you so far, Gen?"

"Pretty great, actually," she smiled, "Everyone's been really nice so far."

"That'll change," Chris said, coming to join them and setting the girls' champagne flutes on the table, "Wait until the freaks come out to play. Unfortunately for you, you got stuck with the biggest freak of them all."

He leaned over to flick Danneel's ear and she yelped, smacking him hard on the hand. "Ow, you bitch!"

Gen giggled into her hand and Chris's face lit up with a proud grin. "Come on, Dani has been so sweet to me. I was freaking out when Jared said he had to work, I felt completely lost in a place I know nothing about."

Chris and Danneel raised their eyebrows, "His name's Jared, huh?"

"Yeah, it is," Gen said slowly, as if preparing for an onslaught she knew was coming.

"That's funny," Danneel said, "Because there's this guy named Jared who's totally into Jensen."

"Yeah, we've been laying into him about it since last night," Chris added, "They met at this crazy club. I only wish I could've been there to see it for myself."

"Oh my god," Gen gasped, "It _is_ you!"

She sprung to her feet and started gesturing excitedly, "I was suspicious when you opened the door, but now I know there's no mistaking it!"

"Oh, not you too." Jensen almost burst into tears.

"You're _the_ Jensen! My God, You're all he's talking about!" Gen cried, "I haven't seen him this worked up over anyone since Sandy, but you have brought him to a whole new level!"

"You know Jared Padalecki?" Danneel and Chris screamed simultaneously.

"Of course I do," Gen said, "We've been friends since high school!"

"Oh my god!" Danneel wailed, she was on her feet now too, clutching hands with Gen.

"I can't believe this," Gen spoke, shaking her head, "Jared has been _flipping out_ over what happened!"

"He's not the only one," Jensen added, though no one was listening to him.

"You have to call him," Gen turned wide, pleading eyes on Jensen.

"I don't know..."

"What's the matter? It won't do you any harm! Didn't you get his flowers? He's absolutely infatuated with you Jensen, and he feels terrible about all the publicity this has gotten. He really wants to make things right, and ensure that you aren't upset with him. Plus he's itching for another chance to see you again," Gen spoke earnestly.

"Won't another meeting draw even more attention to us?" Jensen wondered aloud, "I mean, with all the media coverage this guy gets you'd think he was a movie star, not a business man. Reporters are dying for a chance to get the inside scoop, and there's not a doubt in my mind they're watching him like hawks."

"That's what the phone call is for," Gen insisted, "So that you guys can talk it out first, without causing any more fuss. Once the hype has died down, you guys can go on your first official date."

"I never mentioned any dates," Jensen pointed out.

Gen was already reaching for her phone buried somewhere in her purse. "Give me your phone," she demanded. Jensen hesitated and she turned on him, left hand held out expectantly.

Unwilling to argue, Jensen forked it over and punched Jared number into his contact list. The plan was to wait for her to leave and then delete it, so that nobody could give his anymore grief.

"It's up to you when you wanna call," Gen said, "But you need to do it at some point. Can you promise me that you will, sometime soon? Please?"

"Yeah," Jensen gave up, "Yeah, I promise."

The girls cheered and Chris clapped him on the back.

"That's my boy," he said.

After that, conversation turned towards other topics that weren't nearly as frustrating for Jensen. But for some reason, he spent most of his time nodding along absent-mindedly, unable to concentrate on what the others were saying. Suddenly, he was all to aware of his cell in his pocket and the weight of the phone number patiently waiting.

Sure, Jared seemed like a nice enough guy, and he was apparently super hung up on making nice with Jensen. Everyone else seemed to be rooting for the two of them to get together, but as for Jensen, well...

Some promises were just words.


End file.
